Monday, April 1, 2019

Building Your Financial Foundation








Image result for joseph of egypt
When Joseph of Egypt interpreted Pharaoh's  dream, he revealed that there would be seven years of feast and seven years of famine. Likewise, our modern economy goes in cycles. We have had a decade or so of feast. While we cannot know when the famine will be, we know that down times in the economy will come. Now is the time to prepare.

I do hope that you do not come away from this feeling like some of the disciples of Christ saying that, "This is an hard saying." (John 3:60-61). I have spent much of my life studying personal finance and coaching people on a regular basis on improving their finances. However, I have spent several weeks pouring over Ensign and Liahona articles, General Conference Talks, and the Self Reliance Course on Personal Finance to make sure that what I present here does not come from me or my learning, but comes from prophets of God. ("I Have a Work For Thee" An Eternal Perspective on Personal and Family Finance Guide to Family Finance Protecting Family Finances by Avoiding Fraud Personal Finances for Self Reliance)

In the October 2017 talk "I Have a Work For Thee," Elder John C. Pingree Jr. quoted Spencer W. Kimball as saying, "Before we came [to earth, we] were given certain assignments. … While we do not now remember the particulars, this does not alter the glorious reality of what we once agreed to."


President Russell M Nelson expanded on this idea when he said, "The Lord has more in mind for you than you have in mind for yourself! You have been reserved and preserved for this time and place. … The Lord needs you to change the world. As you accept and follow His will for you, you will find yourself accomplishing the impossible!" And David O. MacKay said, "Find a purpose in life so big it will challenge every capacity to be at your best."
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We have a specific purpose, a mission, that is unique to each of us. During this life, if we are faithful, this mission will be revealed to us, a little at a time. I believe it is this calling or mission referred to in Doctrine and Covenants section 88 when the Lord tells us to learn things both of doctrine and of history, nature, and the dealings of men, so we may better fulfill our mission (D&C 88:77-80)

Unfortunately, "many are called but few are chosen. And why are they not chosen, because they [are distracted]" (D&C 121:34-35) There are too many appealing things of the world that draw their attention away from seeking to learn their calling in life. So how do we learn to focus on discovering our mission and avoiding the distractions of the world? One way is to find people who have the results you seek, and spend time with them. Most people chose people to spend time with based on convenience or enjoyment. I would recommend seeking people who have the fruit you seek (wherefore by their fruits, ye shall know them. Matthew 7:20). Strive to spend time with them.

Image result for bullies

When were young, our parents cautioned us not to spend time with certain people, the trouble makers. They knew that if we spent enough time with them, we would become like them. As adults, the same applies to us. Actively seek out people that have the results you want, not just in finances, but in health, spirituality, and all areas of life, and intentionally spend more time with them.

So if we are to fulfill a great purpose in our lives, this will require resources. This is often referred to as a stewardship. We have been blessed with skills, talents, and opportunities that will be needed to fulfill our life mission. Our stewardship is to care for and nurture these until we discover our purpose so we can fulfill our mission.

I propose that our financial foundation is made of seven layers. Each layer is less important than the preceding layers. While you do not need to exclusively focus on the more important layers to the exclusion of the others, I believe the more important layers should receive your main focus until they are mastered.

Layer 1 Tithes and Offerings

Image result for titheAll that we have, even our very lives, are not ours. They are gifts from Father. He has given us every gift for a purpose. He asks us to show faith in him, and return a tenth of our increase. We can do more with 90% of our stewardship that is blessed by living the law of tithing than we every could with 100%.

We should also give generously to other offerings. Offerings are those donations beyond tithing. Each has a specific purpose. For instance, fast offerings is the most efficient and effective assistance for those in need. Not only does 100% of the money go to the needs, those needs are carefully and prayerfully evaluated and discerned by those who have been given special gifts. I challenge anyone to find a more effective or efficient program to help the needy.

Layer 2 Focused Expenses on Your Purpose

As everything you have is a stewardship meant to assist you in fulfilling your life's mission, nothing could be more disappointing than to come to fully recognize your mission and realize you have frittered away the resources you were blessed with to fulfill this great purpose.

Many people think they are frugal by seeking to get the most stuff for the least money. If you are focused on your purpose and stewardship, then this is completely backwards. Every purchase carries the question, "Does this help me fulfill my purpose." It doesn't matter how great a deal it is, if it is a waste of money, serving no purpose in your life and ends up in a land fill.

Layer 3 No New Debt, Pay Down Debt as Fast as Possible

The prophets, from ancient to modern, have been clear about debt, get rid of it.

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President Gordon B. Hinckley declared: “Many of our people are living on the very edge of their incomes. In fact, some are living on borrowings. … I urge you to be modest in your expenditures; discipline yourselves in your purchases to avoid debt to the extent possible. Pay off debt as quickly as you can, and free yourselves from bondage.”

President Ezra Taft Benson said, "The Lord desires his Saints to be free and independent in the critical days ahead. But no man is truly free who is in financial bondage."

And Solomon said, "The rich ruleth over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender." (Proverbs 22:7)

The words of the prophets are clear, we need to eliminate and avoid debt. While there have been times in which prophets have given some exceptions in which getting into debt may be "acceptable," such as buying a house or education, I fear this is too often left as an open door to acquiring as much debt as the world will let us. However, the prophets words are clear. Avoid debt as much as possible. And when you do have debt, pay it off as fast as possible. 

Related imageMany people think that paying off all their debt, including their mortgage, quickly is an impossible task. Yes, it is. Just like it is impossible to walk on water. At least that is what Peter thought until he saw his Lord walking on the sea. When he saw Christ walking on the water, he stepped out of the boat and took a few steps on the water. And then he started to fail. And as he sunk, Jesus reached out and pulled him back up. (Matthew 14:25-31)

Find people who have gotten to be debt free and spend time with them. Even ask them to coach or mentor you into becoming debt free. In our congregation we have a handful of people who are completely debt free, including their homes. They do not owe anybody. And we have a few more that I know of that will be reaching that lofty goal in the next three years. Seek these members out. Spend time with them. Learn from them. And when you start to sink, they can reach out their hand and pull you up. You can do the impossible.

I named this layer No New Debt and Pay Down Debt as Fast as Possible because that is how it progressed for me. To borrow a phrase from the Prodigal Son, when I came to myself, I realized I had strayed from what I was taught in my youth to avoid debt. It started small, and I found myself in more debt that I ever thought I would be in. The first step I took was to commit to no new debt.

And like any commitment, Father tested my resolve. Right after I made that commitment, our air conditioner went out, and it would cost $8,000 that we did not have to fix it. But I had made a commitment to not increase my debt. We went through three Texas summers, with only window A/C units in selected rooms in our home. 

Never shy away from sacrifice. Sacrifice is nothing other than the production of sacred things. My children will remember the commitment that we had to not increase our debt. Those summers burned (almost literally) memories into their young minds that do not go away easily. We went through discomfort, and it was ok.

Related imageSo we invested three years into proving our commitment to not increase our debt, but we did not commit to paying off debt as fast as possible. That was the following three years. Our peak debt, including our house, was over $200,000. Again, it was by any measure impossible for me to pay off this amount any faster than 10 years, but 10 years is better than nothing. So we set our resolve on the next commitment. I guess I felt like the boy who only had five loaves and two small fishes, but gave it to Jesus and he multiplied it to feed five thousand (John 6:9-13). I feel because I was true and faithful to my commitment to no new debt and our new commitment and action towards that commitment to eliminate debt as fast as possible, our efforts were multiplied beyond what seemed possible. We had paid off all our debt in three years.

Layer 4 Invest in Your Ability to Provide

When I was in school, I was counting the years until my schooling would be complete. No more reading. No more learning. At that point I would just be making money for the rest of my life. This was very poor thinking. 

Image result for studyEducation has an expiration. We should be continually learning, growing and becoming better. Education may include formal education, but is in no way limited to it.

Money is a receipt for the value you add to society. I had a sister in the ward ask me about stay at home mothers. They add a huge value to society, but do not receive these "receipts." You may not collect money when you add value to society, especially when it is in line with your life's mission. When it comes to your career or profession, the more value you add, in general, the more compensation you will receive. This compensation often will not come immediately after you add value, but it will come.

This is one place where I will give my personal recommendation which I did not find a specific prophetic counsel that directly aligned with. I recommend that in addition to 10% tithes, you should automatically pay 10% of all income into a bank account which has the sole purpose of investing in your ability to continuously provide. The only time you spend money from this account is when you can show that the expense will have a financial return in your life. This would cover books, audios, trainings, certifications, classes, courses, mentoring, etc. Anything that would increase your value to society. 

Outside of 10% tithes and 10% investing in you, the rest of your income would cover expenses that should be trimmed down to be just enough to fulfill your stewardship, and every other dollar would be focused on paying down debt. The every other dollar especially includes "extra" money, like income tax refunds, bonuses, raises (except for taxes, 10% tithing and 10% investing in you), etc.

Layer 5 Prepare for Emergencies (Emergency Fund, 72 hour kits, food storage, insurance)

Once you've properly funded your education account, the 10% can then be focused on preparing for emergencies. The first focus would be an emergency fund. This would be a separate account that contains 3 to 6 months of expenses. To determine how much 3 to 6 month of expenses are, look at how much money you would need in the bank to maintain your current lifestyle with no income coming in. 

Related image72 hour kits, or bug out bags, are another essential part of preparation, especially here in central Texas where large storms have shown their ability to disrupt lives. You should refresh the contents of your 72 hour kit every 6 months to a year.

The importance of the  prophet's counsel to have food storage is also evident here in central Texas. We get a dusting of snow and the store shelves are empty for days as Texans prepare for the snow-apocalypse. Imagine if we had a disaster that disrupted the trucking lines and prevented the stores from restocking. Or for a less dramatic scenario, how many times have we heard of families who survived periods of unemployment due to having food stored. Start with enough food to last you 3 to 6 months with a plan to build that up to a year's supply.

Insurance is a critical part of preparing for emergencies. Insurance prevents massive losses. You should make sure you have enough insurance to prevent catastrophic loss. However, you should also not be overinsured. Another benefit of your emergency fund is that you can now have higher deductibles, which can often lower your payments.

Layer 6 Plan for Upcoming Expenses

There are expenses that you know will be coming. For instance, I pay my car insurance every six months (which saves money over paying monthly). I know the expense is coming up in August, so I set aside enough each month so I can pay it in full when it is due. 

I also know that my water heater will probably die in five to seven years. So I set aside enough money each month so I can buy one when the time comes. But because I am planning ahead of time, I can be looking for discounts on water heaters and buy one before it becomes an emergency and save money at the same time.

I've gotten a bit crazy with this, to the point where I even have small items like printer ink on my planned expenses.

Layer 7 Traditional Investments

Image result for stock marketSo once you have focused on the six preceding layers, and mastered them, you can turn your focus to what most people consider investments. However, remember that the biggest return you will ever get is your investing in yourself. The increase in income from your improvements will compound and give you far more than any other investment.

While I have several opinions on traditional investments, I will set those aside and strictly rely on what the First Presidency has said.

Elder M Rusell Ballard said "There are no shortcuts to financial security. Do not trust your money to others without a thorough evaluation of any proposed investment. Our people have lost far too much money by trusting their assets to others. In my judgment, we will never have balance in our lives unless our finances are securely under control.

A letter from the First Presidency dated March 7, 2013 stated, “We are concerned that some Church members ignore the oft-repeated direction to prepare and live within a budget, avoid consumer debt, and to save against a time of need. Consideration should also be given to investing wisely with responsible and established financial institutions. We are also concerned that there are those who use relationships of trust to promote risky or even fraudulent investment and business schemes.

“While all investments carry an element of risk, that risk can be managed by following sound and proven financial principles: first, avoid unnecessary debt, especially consumer debt; second, before investing, seek advice from a qualified and licensed financial advisor; and third, be wise.”

In a flyer entitled "Being Wise in Managing Our Finances" attached to a letter from the First Presidency on February 14, 2019, the following principles were recommended for discussion:
  • While we generally trust others, we use wisdom when investing.
  • As all investments carry risk, verify the legitimacy of the investment and the company and representatives providing the services.
  • Be cautious when high-pressure or fear tactics are used.
  • Be wary of persuasion by power or position rather than the strength of the opportunity.
  • Protect personal and financial information to minimize the risk of exploitation.
  • Approach risky situations cautiously and wisely to avoid the negative consequences of poor decisions.
  • Avoid investments that are “too good to be true.”
  • Do not invest if you cannot afford to lose your investment.
  • Avoid the temptation of “get rich quick” investments.
  • Note that poor investment decisions often lead to other unwise or even illegal decisions.
  • Be aware of fraudulent activity used to take advantage without providing value.
So build a solid financial foundation. As you seek to learn what the Lord would have you do, make sure you have a solid foundation to fulfill the calling you are called to.

Wednesday, March 4, 2015

Teaching Illiteracy

Lord Redbrick: Oh! I don't like what you're incinerating.
Lady Bluebury: The proper word is "insinuating", illiterate.
Lord Redbrick: I am not illiterate! My parents were married!

My sons were asking me about credit cards, debit cards, cash and checks on the drive home from school today. At first I was pretty excited that they were getting some financial education from school as well as from home. Then I looked at the homework.  I've included their homework in this post, along with the answers I would give (just click on the homework pages below to see the actual questions and my answers).

The first question that caught my attention started with these statements:
Walter has a part time job at the local discount store. He has a checking account and a small savings account. He struggles to pay his bills because he does not make much money.
Wow. That last statement floored me. Poor Walter does not struggle to pay his bills because he does not make much money. Walter struggles to pay his bills because he spends too much money.


Don't get me wrong, I understand there are people that struggle. They struggle to find employment, as poor Walter only has a part time job. However, whatever your income, you need to cut expenses to fit within it, or you will start going backwards and fast.

After going over the boy's homework, it made more sense to me why Texas is 46th in poverty rate in the United States. This is not just the teacher's choice in homework. The pages bear the logos of Texas Council on Economic Education and Texas Credit Union Foundation. I love Texas, but the poverty rate is something that I wish would change and this homework is doing just the opposite.

The rest of the homework went into the advantages and disadvantages of various forms of payment: credit card, debit card, check and cash. It all felt like it was one of those coloring books you can get from the bank extolling the virtues of getting into debt.

And that was just the setup. The two questions that followed were equally amazing:
How should Walter pay for dinner at a restaurant? How should Walter pay for a new television set?
No wonder Walter has a hard time paying his bills. He should be at home opening a can of Campbell's and reading a good book, instead of spending money eating out and buying electronics. In fact, instead of spending all that money, I would recommend he invest $25 in the book Financial Fitness to read with his tomato soup.

I see so many people that have the latest iPhone, cable TV, big screen TVs, eat out fairly regularly and can't seem to make ends meet. This type of homework seems to assume this mentality, the keeping up with the Jones' at any cost.

The next page of homework was a little better. Here is the setup:
Max has a good job. He has a checking account and savings account. Max pays his credit card bill on time and he pays the entire balance each month.
Terrific! Max pays his full credit card bill each month. On the surface this looks like a person in a solid financial position (and I would have thought that 6 months ago). The problem here is the first sentence. What does a good job mean? Does it mean he is guaranteed not to be fired? That the company he works for won't be acquired or go under?

Here is the problem with Max's situation. He basically has an interest free 30 day loan for all the purchases. Every month. If something beyond Max's control happens, like his company being acquired and his division being let go, Max might have a period of time where he has to live on his savings. To add to the problem, he would need to take a month's worth of expenses from his savings to pay off his card, or face high interest rates that will start eating into his savings more than he thinks.

This was pretty much the situation my wife and I were in before we started going through Financial Fitness Pack. We always paid our credit cards off every month. What hit us was an unexpected monthly expense that we took on caring for a relative. We thought everything was in hand, but the credit cards masked what was happening. We had a slow leak that, over two years, caused us to push the envelope on being able to pay off the credit cards.

After hearing about the Dunn & Bradstreet study that found that people spend 12%-18% less when they use cash versus cards, we decided to finally use the cash-envelope system. This is when it struck me that I had a constant 30-day loan from the credit cards. We had drained our savings and couldn't pay off the credit cards and also pay cash for our expenses. 

The Financial Fitness Pack had an answer for that too. We've been following the system prescribed, but more importantly, we're receiving a first rate financial education (CPAs can get 22 credits of continuing education with the pack). Since using the cash-envelope system and the debt paydown, we have a plan to not just pay off those credit cards (and medical debt), but also pay off both mortgages (again with the relative, oi).

The rest of the homework was a page each on the Pros and Cons of the various payment methods; credit cards, debit cards, checks and cash.

The Credit Card page seemed pretty straightforward. One of the advantages/disadvantages plays right into the idea that debt is a good tool if you are broke.
If there is an emergency and no money is available, a credit card can be used to pay for the emergency.
Robert Kiyosaki says, "Only borrow money when you don’t need it." And there is a good reason for that. It is natural for people to assume that this is just a bump in the road and they will be back on their feet soon. However, borrowing money when you are in financial straights only worsens the problem and often the bump is a little longer than expected, especially with high interest rates of credit cards.

The Convenience category had me going back and forth as to if it is an advantage or disadvantage. This is possibly why people spend 12%-18% more when using credit cards. It is a little too convenient.

Checking seems to be a bit of a relic. There were elements of checks I had forgotten about (proof of payment). However, I haven't written a check in quite a while. I use online bill pay to replace a lot of the checks I used to write. There are a few downsides they do gloss over. 

It seems that the homework assumes that with checks you need to balance a checkbook. The problem is that mistakes are common, which leads to overdraft fees.

And the biggest gloss-over is that you need to trust the person you send the check to. Checks have your account number and the banks routing number on it. A decade ago that wouldn't be a big deal. But with all the innovations in banking these days, identity thieves often find holes in new services which allow them to drain bank accounts with just those numbers.

I'm not as familiar with Debit cards, so in filling out this sheet I had to do some homework. I knew you had the added security of needing the card and a PIN number. You don't have the same guaranteed fraud protection that you have for credit cards. I thought that the "limit" for the card was what you had in your account. It turns out there are some bad debit cards out there, that will allow you to overdraft a debit card.

That limit can also cause some problems, specifically when renting a car, hotel room, getting gas or purchases at a bar. In these cases, these merchants put a hold on your card for expenses that you might incur. For credit cards, which usually (or at least should) have a limit far beyond what you normally charge, it's not a big deal. However, for debit cards this can lock up your funds for days. So for the road trips, use cash or credit, or you could have your entire checking account tied up with holds.

And then we come to cash. For cash they didn't have any pre-filled advantages/disadvantages. I thought that was interesting. For advantages, I had that it is nearly universally accepted, and by human nature you will typically spend 12%-18% less than with cards. For disadvantages, once you lose cash, it is lost. So don't lose your cash. 

A bit of a stretch on the disadvantages, I put down that cash is a bit less convenient. I think cash is more convenient than checks (a bit of a pet peeve at the grocery store, but I digress).

My recommendation? Put together a program written by someone who has financial success. Don't let the banks write the curriculum (fox watching the hen house?) 

If it were up to me, I'd have them study the book Financial Fitness for Teens. When I bought it, I thought it was going to be a watered down version of the Financial Fitness book. Boy was I wrong. Financial Fitness is meant for adults that have made financial mistakes. It gently takes them through a systematic path of getting grownups back on track.

Financial Fitness for Teens, however, is a hard hitting, direct work that is meant to prevent youth from making those mistakes in the first place and setting them up to live their purpose, instead of working for the debt providers.

So this is where parenting comes in. Parents, make sure you are watching what your schools are teaching your children. But more important, invest in educating yourselves so you can then educate your children. The schools are not responsible for your children's education, you are.



Tuesday, January 7, 2014

Spiritual and Temporal Self Reliance

In 2 Nephi 2:17 and 27, the prophet Lehi gave the following teaching to his son Jacob:
17 Wherefore, the Lord God gave unto man that he should act for himself. Wherefore, man could not act for himself save it should be that he was enticed by the one or the other.
27 Wherefore, men are free according to the flesh; and all things are given them which are expedient unto man. And they are free to choose liberty and eternal life, through the great Mediator of all men, or to choose captivity and death, according to the captivity and power of the devil; for he seeketh that all men might be miserable like unto himself.
Or as Canadian business leader, Claude Hamilton states:
When you take the easy way out, life will get harder. But if you take the hard way out,  life will get easier. 
There has been a battle that has raged since before time. Not necessarily a battle of good versus evil, but a battle of agency versus control. The very first battle recorded in scripture is that of Lucifer offering to remove our agency so that everyone would be saved. No one would make a mistake, no one would suffer. Sounds enticing, but to remove agency, to take control away from us is to put us in bondage and captivity.

Satan continues this same battle for control in today's world, although he now seeks to take our agency so that we would not return to live with Father. As I have pondered the bonds that the devil seeks to put upon us, they seem to come in four areas: Habitual, Spiritual, Financial and Potential

Habitual bonds range from addictive substances and activities to small things that have crept into our routine. At the least these habits crowd out the important things for those of lesser importance. While some are harmless is small doses, we need to keep our guard up not to let them become entrenched and leave no room for the important things in our lives. Things like TV, movie watching, sports, games (including, but not limited to video games), shopping, traveling and pleasure reading are fun diversions, but if not kept in check can leave little room for what we know we should do.

Spiritual bonds are those that keep us from having the full measure of the Spirit in our lives. Any time we disobey the commandments, we distance ourselves from the Spirit. As we lose the ability to receive inspiration we find our decisions lead to more bonds, in an ever downward spiral.

We have been warned many times of the bondage of debt. However this, like the other bonds, can weasel it's way into our lives. There is a series of cartoon videos based on the scriptures. Each video is pretty expensive, and there are a lot of them. Years ago I signed up to receive one video a month, at around $40 each, until we had the entire set. The way it was set up was as a debt, that you could not cancel until you had purchased the entire set. So every month for years we had this $40 payment. I can't tell you how much I look forward to this small, draining payment leaving our budget this March.

Potential bondage deals with what we do with ourselves. Society pays us for the value we add to it. The more valuable we can make our contribution to society, the more society can reward us. L. Tom Perry said:
Education has, of necessity, become a lifelong pursuit. We must, in our scheduling of time, allot sufficient time to educate ourselves for now and for the future.
It may not be practical to get a formal education, especially with the continual rise in the cost and the usual mounting debt that it accompanies. However, you can access a vast store of education through many resources which can improve your value to society. Free of charge you have access to your local library. There are tremendous educational resources available on the internet (however, use caution in choosing sources for the information).

President Harry Truman was considered one of the least educated presidents by some, and yet by others he was considered the most educated. One thing he was proud of was the fact that he had read every book in the Independence Library.

In Doctrine and Covenants 88:78-80,118 it states:
78 Teach ye diligently and my grace shall attend you, that you may be instructed more perfectly in theory, in principle, in doctrine, in the law of the gospel, in all things that pertain unto the kingdom of God, that are expedient for you to understand; 
79 Of things both in heaven and in the earth, and under the earth; things which have been, things which are, things which must shortly come to pass; things which are at home, things which are abroad; the wars and the perplexities of the nations, and the judgments which are on the land; and a knowledge also of countries and of kingdoms— 
80 That ye may be prepared in all things when I shall send you again to magnify the calling whereunto I have called you, and the mission with which I have commissioned you.
118 And as all have not faith, seek ye diligently and teach one another words of wisdom; yea, seek ye out of the best books words of wisdom; seek learning, even by study and also by faith.
We are commanded to learn the gospel as well as natural science, history and politics. And to do this, we are commanded to seek out of the best books.

These four areas all intertwine. Often people do not evaluate how they improve their potential and obtain mountains of education debt (which cannot be wiped out). Others seek to offset their lack of improving their potential by purchasing items on credit, starting a downward spiral of finances that forces them to spend their time chasing the dollar so they can pay their debt instead of setting aside some resources and time to improve their value to society. Some waste their time, money and potential chasing after addictive substances to "escape" only to find that the only true escape from the trials we face are in seeking the Spirit more abundantly in our lives.

Imagine that each day we are given 24 Gold Coins. Turns out the medium of exchange is Silver, so we exchange 8 of our Gold Coins for 8 Silver Coins to buy the things we need. Then imagine that we can buy luxuries with pennies, so we exchange 3 Silver Coins for 3 Pennies. Each day we are given 24 hours. Time is the most precious resources as we cannot make more of it. Our time on earth is fixed. Many of us trade 8 hours for money that we use to buy the necessities. How much we get for that time depends on how much potential we realize and how much we have invested in ourselves, or, how much value we can add to society. Then with a portion of our money we get into debt, essentially selling future hours we have not even worked yet to buy something we don't need, with money we don't have, to impress people we don't like.

How do we escape the downward spiral of the Spiritual, Habitual, Financial and Potential bonds? Let me illustrate with a story. There was a small town in the old west. Unlike my hometown, as children grew up they wanted to raise their families in that same small town. As the town grew, the outgrew the small valley they were in. Not to far away was a much larger valley that could support their town for generations. The only problem was, there was not water in that valley. So they built a canal from a river some distance up in the mountains down to the valley. Since the survival of the town depended on this canal, the town hired a ditch rider to ensure the canal was in good repair.

Every day the ditch rider would ride the narrow trail along the canal from the town up to the source at the river. He would patch up the canal where needed and even anticipate future problems and prepare the canal to avoid a disruption in the water flow. One such problem was the increase in water flow from storms. The ditch rider and his two sons would take 8 hour shifts in the barn loft looking for storms. When signs of a storm were seen, the ditch rider would go to the source and place a small dam in the canal to prevent the rushing water from destroying the canal, and then after the storm passed, he would remove the dam and allow the water to continue to flow to the town.

A reporter from back east was studying the city governments of the west and was particularly interested in this town, and it's government position of ditch rider. He set up camp just outside town, at the base of the mountain where the canal came in. That night the ditch rider's son woke up the ditch rider to alert him to an oncoming storm. Rain had already started to fall and the wind pulled at the ditch riders coat as he raced along the narrow, and now muddy, trail along the canal to the river. The reporter saw the ditch rider as he attempted to secure the flaps of his tent. He gave little thought to the crazy horse rider as listened to the wind howl against his tent, other than to question his sanity.

The next morning the air was calm. The reporter stepped out of his tent just in time to see the tired, wet ditch rider slowly ride down the trail. The reporter asked the ditch rider if he was the rider he had seen the night before during the storm. When the ditch rider confirmed his suspicion, the reported asked him if he was crazy to ride on such a narrow, muddy trail at such a speed during the storm. The ditch rider responded that it was trivial, as he and his horse rode that trail every day. They new every twist and turn, every rise and fall.

Another example along the same lines is the story of the 10 virgins. Remember that the 10 virgins do not represent the populace at large, but those of the kingdom of heaven. In Matthew 25:1-13 it states:
1 Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom.
2 And five of them were wise, and five were foolish.
3 They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them:
4 But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.
5 While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept.
6 And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him.
7 Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps.
8 And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out.
9 But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves.
10 And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut.
11 Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us.
12 But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not.
13 Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.
In the book "Faith Preceds the Miracle," Spencer W. Kimball states:
Attendance at sacrament meetings adds oil to our lamps, drop by drop over the years. Fasting, family prayer, home teaching, control of bodily appetites, preaching the gospel, studying the scriptures—each act of dedication and obedience is a drop added to our store. Deeds of kindness, payment of offerings and tithes, chaste thoughts and actions, marriage in the covenant for eternity—these, too, contribute importantly to the oil with which we can at midnight refuel our exhausted lamps.
So how do we avoid the Spiritual, Habitual, Financial and Potential bonds? We ride the trail daily to the source. It is the small, seemingly insignificant daily habits we form by our persistence in doing those small actions. We don't add them all at once. Just as Jesus grew line upon line and precept upon precept, we make small commitments to improve ourselves daily until those daily actions become habits. Then we can take on another small improvement.

The church has two "All is Safely Gathered In" pamphlets (food storage and finances) as well as a booklet entitled "One for the Money." You can get these from the Ward clerk. These small pamphlets give valuable ideas on where to start adding small habits to work towards to prevent us from falling into bondage. They include:
  • Avoid Debt
  • Budget
  • Work towards 3 month food storage and then 1 year's
  • 72 Emergency kit
  • Water storage
  • Financial Reserve
  • Teach your family these principles
  • Be properly insured
N Eldon Tanner stated:
Nothing seems so certain as the unexpected in our lives. With rising medical costs, health insurance is the only way most families can meet serious accident, illness, or maternity costs, particularly those for premature births. Life insurance provides income continuation when the provider prematurely dies. Every family should make provision for proper health and life insurance.
The last, and most important principle in preventing our bondage is best illustrated in a story of another small western town. This town was at the foot of the rockies in the 1860's or 1870's. They also were completely dependent on water, but didn't have a canal, their sole source was the rain. One year a terrible drought hit. The towns people came to realize that if it did not rain within a week, the town would have to be abandoned. The set aside a day of fasting and worship. The drove their horses and wagons with everything they owned and hitched them up outside the town hall (which was also their church and schoolhouse). If there was no rain, they would be leaving the town hall that day never to return.

Once in the hall they sang hymns. Each member stood up and shared. Some shared deeply spiritual, faith filled messages. Some shared practical messages. This went on until lunch when the all filed out of the hall to feel a breeze (remember, no A/C) and water the horses. Afterwards they returned to the hall to continue singing hymns and sharing their thoughts.

Then in late afternoon they heard a clap of thunder, followed by the sound of rain striking the roof. They poured out through the double doors to enjoy the heaven sent rain. They cheered danced in the rain. Then in all the commotion the noticed the people in the middle of the crowd were silent. As the crowd parted one girl was seen in the middle with an umbrella.

This girl knew the result of faith. She had ridden the narrow path to the source of that faith many times. When everyone else was preparing to abandon the town in case their prayers were not answered, this girl grabbed her umbrella so she would be prepared when their prayers were answered.

May we add to our lives the small, but important things that we already know we should be doing. Do them until they become habits that crowd out the unimportant and insignificant. Take the small steps daily to become who Father intends you to be. And be prepared for the miracle He will perform in your life.

Note: This was taken from notes used for a message delivered in church on December 29, 2013. While the scriptural references, quotes and general structure are the same as the message delivered that day, the flavor was very much different. I have tried to remember how it was different and cannot recall. I guess you better not miss church.

Both the story of the Ditch Rider and the Umbrella girl were stories shared in a speech given by Oliver DeMille.

Monday, January 7, 2013

Monday, December 31, 2012

WW: Mentor




mentor

 [men-tawr, -ter]   Example Sentences Origin

men·tor

  [men-tawr, -ter]  Show IPA
noun
1.
a wise and trusted counselor or teacher.
2.
an influential senior sponsor or supporter.
verb (used without object)
3.
to act as a mentor: She spent years mentoring to junioremployees.
verb (used with object)
4.
to act as a mentor to: The brash young executive did not wish tobe mentored by anyone.
Origin: 
1740–50;  after Mentor  (< Greek Méntōr )



MM: The Fun Theory: Fast Lane Elevator

Movie Monday with The Fun Theory. Life can be made better and fun. What have you done to make everyday life fun? How can we constantly remind ourselves to look for the fun in life?